Joan Gaspart tells Messi that “Barcelona is bigger than him”

Joan Gaspart took aim at Messi over his still-awaited farewell to Barcelona: “Who does he think he is? Barça is bigger than him,” was the former club president’s message. Speaking on “Solo Para Culés”, he also praised the player’s ability while insisting that the club’s stature must come first.

“There is no doubt about Messi’s level; he is the best player in the world, but there is one thing he must not forget: Barcelona is bigger than him,” Gaspart said. He then urged the Argentine to be careful, linking that warning to the affection he says he still feels for the player he recruited at the age of 13, when he was president of Barça. “Barcelona is bigger than the person of Messi,” he stressed.

The farewell is at the heart of Gaspart’s criticism. Messi’s farewell has yet to take place and has been put off over the years; tensions with Joan Laporta after the player’s sudden departure are apparently the reason. Gaspart objects to the conditions he says Messi has set for the occasion. He says he is willing to give him more time, but warns that he may eventually grow frustrated if the player does not come to Barcelona to say goodbye to the supporters.

In Gaspart’s view, Messi’s attendance should not depend on who holds the presidency. He believes the Argentine should not wait for Laporta to leave before returning to say farewell. The former executive says he would not agree to an tribute held under those conditions and would not attend if Laporta were no longer in office.

Gaspart also spoke about his grandchildren to illustrate the place he believes Messi has among younger generations today. He says he has four grandchildren of the fourth generation and asked whether they wanted a Barcelona shirt bearing Messi’s name or Lamine’s. Their choice, he recounts, was Lamine. He also says they ask him which other player he could possibly name, before responding to his praise of Messi by asking for a Lamine shirt.